QBSN has taken on a different look on the web for the past few weeks, and unlike the university it’s for more than just aesthetics. October is domestic violence awareness month, and we’ve decided to use our platform accordingly.

Over the past few years, stories of professional athletes accused or convicted of abusing their spouse or significant other has permeated all reaches of sports. In many cases, stories go unreported because reporters don’t understand what domestic violence is, or choose to ignore it as a social issue. This isn’t an exercise in finger pointing, but rather in education.

Domestic violence can torture any person’s life, regardless of age, race, gender or wealth. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in 2009 violent crimes by intimate partners made up 26 percent of non-fatal crimes against women and five percent against men. A quarter of women in the U.S. have or will experience severe physical partner violence in their lives.

Instead of an exercise in empathy for DV awareness by telling them to think of their mothers, sisters or daughters, an appeal to learn and simply know how many people this affects is needed. Men need to know they aren’t weak if they ask for help, and everyone to know how to be supportive of people in their lives who have lived through abuse.

Another part of our action is raising money for the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence. CCADV develops community outreach programs and help to further educate the community, as well as support shelters and centers across the state.

We plan on both fundraising across campus for money to donate to provide further resources to women across the state.According to CCADV, state funded domestic violence shelters in Connecticut are afforded $7 per person per day; an amount expected to cover everything from rent to utilities to staffing. We also are running a social media awareness campaign using the #QBSNStopsDV to further push the conversation, as well as encouraging every broadcast pair that wears purple or a purple ribbon to call a game.

Our organization is partnering with the Association for Women in Sports Media to bring in reporters including Jane McManus of ESPN to speak at our meetings to discuss what domestic violence is and looks like. This knowledge combined with the way to tactfully construct a story is an unfortunate necessity for modern sports journalists. Starting discussions on DV should stand to benefit someone’s personal lives and to better our members’ ability as reporters.

I hope all of our readers will consider researching and understanding what makes a healthy relationship, ways to be a supportive partner and knowing more can be done to make the lives of others happier and safer. Know what the warning signs are for you or someone in your life. Please don’t remain convinced that speaking out against athletes of your favorite teams is a traitorous act, but rather something bold. Challenging what we perceive can only help to better us all as a society in the long run. 

If you need help, know someone can always help by either going online to ctcadv.org or calling 888-774-2900. We at the QBSN E-Board hope you stand with us and work to stop domestic violence.